THE NEW SCT410 is only the second kit to come Tekno, but this competition-ready4x4 short-course truck already has track credentials. Based on Tekno’s purpose-builtEB48 (Electric Buggy 4WD 1/8 scale) and engineered for premium performance, theSCT410’s mission is to lead the 4x4 short-course class. ;e combination of buggy-tough construction and a capable 4WD system make Tekno’s first SCT a compellingentry into the competition category, with something-di;erent appeal to set you apartfrom the pack. Is this newcomer a front runner? We’re about to find out.

;ere’s only one word to explain the way
I equipped the SCT410: overkill. ;is test
vehicle was an exercise in excess in every
way imaginable: an incredibly trick radio
system, gorgeously painted body, absurdly
fast servo, and some seriously mind-blowing power. As I made the short drive
to SDRC Raceway in San Diego, CA – Tekno
RC’s home track — I could hardly contain my
excitement.

I had big plans for tearing up the field
on my first club night, but the first few laps
didn’t go as I had planned. ;e truck felt
overpowered, and the steering seemed
extremely sensitive. I sat down with Tekno
RC founder Daniel Lewis to go over the truck
after it had a chance to break in when he
grabbed a hold of the radio and wiggled the
wheels back and forth; after he stopped
laughing in disbelief at how fast the servo
was, he explained that the truck’s design already lends itself to an incredible amount of
steering. He also tipped me to the fact that
all of his team guys turn down the steering
speed and sensitivity on their radios. After
dulling down the truck to the point where I
could drive it, the SCT410 came to life – and
in a hurry.

;e SCT410 shot forward from a total
standstill, and when accompanied by the
shrill of the Tekin Pro4 torque monster, the
rush was as terrifying as it was intoxicating.
Tap the brakes at the end of the straightaway and the truck pitches forward onto the

PERFORMANCE

front tires while remaining dead straight,
bringing the truck to a reasonable velocity before you initiate the turn. Even after
taming the steering response down with a
handful of adjustments, the truck quickly
snaps back and forth in both directions; by
combining a tiny turning radius with such
forward weight bias, the SCT410 rotates like
a truck half its weight. Rather than hooking
initially before pushing through mid-corner
and exit, it continues yawing at a controllable rate which makes the truck break away
more gradually should you ever exceed its
cornering limits.

;e truck’s box-stock suspension settings do a surprisingly fair job of metering
both rough track handling and its stellar
cornering behavior, and it shows in both the
truck’s absorption of small chop as well as
its composure taking o; and landing from
jumps of all sizes. ;e SCT410 shot through
the small whoop section with a blip of the
throttle, and was eager to land on power
from both large triple jumps as well as the
center crossover gap so that I could nimbly
charge on to the next obstacle. In fact, the
truck barely registered the larger crashes it
endured when I was learning just how hard
I could push it. I have to credit this thing’s
rock-solid durability to the oversized components found throughout. As anyone who
saw my first run that night could confirm,
this truck is tough!